Dog walking-related injuries of the hand and wrist: a systematic review

Dog walking creates the risk of falls which can lead to musculoskeletal injuries.

This review aims to evaluate the epidemiology of dog walking-related hand and wrist injuries, discuss their estimated economic impact, and identify gaps in research and legislation.

Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus databases were searched. Outcomes of interest were the incidence of dog-related hand and wrist injuries. The quality of studies was analysed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).

Five studies consisting of 491 400 injuries among 491 373 patients were included. Among these, 364 904 (74.3%) were female, and at least 152 247 (31.0%) were older than 65 years of age. A total of 110 722 specific fractures or soft tissue injuries to the hand and wrist were reported. Finger fractures were the most common injury among hand and wrist injuries (n=34 051; 30.8%). Being pulled by a leash was the most common cause of a direct dog-related injury (n=314 189; 68.5%).

This review highlights a significant number of dog walking-related hand and wrist injuries, particularly in the elderly and female population. While finger fractures were the most frequently reported injury, the cost analysis in this review focused on distal radius fractures due to their substantial economic impact. We estimated the potential annual cost of dog walking-related wrist fractures in the UK to exceed £23 million. Preventative measures, including safer leash practices and public safety guidance, should be implemented to reduce injury risk.